World Of Chances
by mockingjay0916
Summary: Bella is a vegetarian vampire who doesn't know what she's living for. That is until she runs into the Cullens and they show her the world of chances around her. BxE Regular pairings
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

When you have everything you could ever want and feel like you are complete, one little thing could tear your world down. You think that nothing could go wrong but then your world comes crumpling down right before your eyes. One second in time could be the change of everything and you might not even realize that your whole life is being rewritten until it's too late. One minute you have more than you could ever ask for and the next, you have nothing. Does this sound familiar?

If you're saying yes, I think you can agree with me that it is the worst feeling in the world. You're so confident that you were going to have a bright future but then one little disturbance in your life; one little choice could take that all away.

If you said no however, you're lucky. Actually, you're more than lucky, you're blessed. But my advice for you would be not to get used to it too much because there will be something, either in your near future or further down the road, that has your world around you crumbling down leaving you crushed under all the rumble.

If you had asked me that question when I was sixteen, I would have said no. I would have said no without even giving it a second thought. Life was perfect for me, well, as perfect as a life can get. I had a loving mother and loyal friends. One thing missing in my perfect life though was a father. I never met him. My mother would always tell me stories about him and I would always listen closely to hear about what a great man he was. He died before I was born though. But, I guess you can't miss something you never had, right?

But if you had asked me that same question when I was seventeen, I would have said yes. My once perfect life came tumbling down when I turned seventeen. I made one little wrong turn and I lost everything. I even lost who I was. I was left with absolutely nothing.


	2. Running

_And I die_  
_One day at a time_  
_'Cause I just can't seem to get you off my mind_  
_No matter how I try_  
_Try to kill the time_  
_Well I think that I'm just going crazy_  
_One day at a time_  
_-One Day At A Time, Jonas Brothers_

_

* * *

_

There's one thing that you never want to do. If you're smart. If you value your continuance. If you have any plans on seeing tomorrow. There's one thing that you never ever do. Mess with vampires.

I would have thought that was crazy before I did just that, but I guess I've learned my lesson. And my punishment? Thee hundred years alone. Three hundred years of traveling the world for absolutely nothing. There was nothing to live towards tomorrow for. No one there to help be through the hard times. Absolutely nothing.

I'm now coming towards what feels like my millionth time moving. Running with only the clothes on my back and what is left of the small backpack that I always carry around, I'm leaving Scotland to wherever the world wants to take me. My plan? To just keep running.

I didn't know how long I had been running for. Time didn't seem to matter much to me anymore. It wasn't like I was going to run out of time or going to gain anymore, not that I needed anymore.

I barely noticed as the area surrounding me changed from an area full of sun making me only being able to travel during the day to an endless forest that kept getting denser as I moved further on. Nothing really caught my attention. Most people would notice the beautiful and breathtaking scenery and things I've seen, but they barely had an effect on me as I didn't have anything to do with the memories I would collect. I didn't need to take pictures because my memory is impeccable. I didn't need to take time to attend a tour because I have studied, and absorbed, everything I had been able to get my hands on over the course of my long life. And most importantly, there was no one I could share the experiences with. Sure I could go and enjoy the world by myself, but when you're traveling along, who will be there for me when I find something amazing? No one will be there with me to take in all the wondrous things the world has to offer.

I barely noticed when I passed by a sign that welcomed me to Seattle. I was still running under the cover of the trees but when the scent of a lot of humans hit me, I decided to go towards them and maybe find a small clothing store as my clothes were getting really worn.

That's another thing about being a nomadic vampire. I'm alone so I find it very hard to settle down in a place for more than a month at the most. Because of all the moving around, I almost never work and survive off of very limited clothes. But food isn't a problem as there is always wildlife around if you look hard enough.

I changed my direction and started to run towards the scent of the humans. As I neared the edge of the forest, I could see a little side road at the opening of the forest. I slowed my pace down to a walk when I reached the road. I looked to both sides of the road and when I didn't see any cars, not that they would have hurt me, I crossed the road. I was about halfway across the road when a giant object hit me square on the side and fell down.

By the hit, I could tell that a car hit me. But the force of the car that hit me was massive. It was no doubt way over the speed limit.

"Oh my God! You hit someone!" a girl screamed from inside the car.

"No, I didn't. I didn't hear anyone there," a male voice rebutted.

"If you didn't hit someone, than explain to me why there was a giant _thump_ and the girl lying on the road in front of the car!" the girl screamed again.

Something about both of the people's voices made it sound a bit inhuman. Humans had monotone voices, but these two had really nice voices. Nothing like a human's voice. Like bells and soft velvet.

I didn't hear the male person say anything else to try and argue the fight that he had obviously lost.

I was in deep trouble now. How was I going to explain that I wasn't dead with a blow to the body that big? I guess I could play dead. I've done it before. It's not exactly _that_ bad. You just let the paramedics take you to the hospital to get a doctor to confirm your death and sneak out of the hospital unnoticed.

I heard the two people get out of their car and come towards me.

"Shit," the male swore.

I just remained still on the cold and wet pavement where I had landed. A pair of hands came down onto my left shoulder to turn me onto my back so I was facing the sky now. And then I felt a hand touch my eyelid and open one of my eyes. What I saw when they opened my eyes shocked me. What I saw were two pairs of golden eyes staring down at me in shock as well.

"Okay, we know you're not dead now," the man said.

I shrugged and got up off the road. "It was worth a try," I said.

"You're eyes deceive you though," the man said again.

"You're eyes do the same," I debated.

"Why don't we go to a more appropriate location for this? I doubt that the middle of the road I a very good place to be," the girl said.

I reluctantly got into the back of their car, but it wasn't like I had anything to lose, right?

But it was in the back of the car that I really got a good look at the both of them. The girl was short, I was guessing just under or just barely five feet. And the man was the most impressive. He had a very prominent jaw line with perfect features and reddish-brown hair. With a lack of words to describe him, he was _attractive_, I guess you could say.

"Do I get to know the name of the people that are taking me to some foreign location mostly against my will?" I asked.

The man looked at me in his rear view mirror. His eyes were so golden that I might have melted right there.

"I'm Alice and this is Edward," the girl, Alice, told me. "What about you?"

"Bella," I simply stated.

The rest of the car ride was silent. It was that kind of silence that you wish someone would just say something but you don't have the guts to break the silence yourself. To say the least, it was awkward.

The time in the car wasn't long as we pulled up not long after into a long and narrow driveway covered by trees. _Where the hell does this lead_, I thought to myself. My thoughts were then answered when the car stopped and I stepped out and took in the giant house in front of me. Giant would be in insult to this house. It was huge, with a capital 'H'.

"Wow," I marveled. I knew that it was probably rude to do that but I couldn't help it.

"Glad you like it," a soft voice said from the house. I looked down from marveling at the house and saw a beautiful woman standing on the porch. "Edward, Alice, who might this be?" the woman asked.

"This, Esme, is Bella," Alice said excitedly. There was no calming her down was there?

"Nice to meet you," I said. I walked up to the porch and offered my hand for her to shake. "So sorry to… surprise you like this, Edward and Alice ran into me."

"It's so great we have the opportunity to meet you."

"Edward and Alice sure know how to make a first impression," I commented.

"What exactly do you mean?" Esme asked questionably while looking at Edward and Alice behind her.

"Well, in my defence, I didn't hear her," Edward said innocently.

"What did you do this time?" Esme rolled her eyes.

"Well…. My car _might_ have knocked her over gently," Edward said. I could see him brace himself for the rath.

"Don't take it out on him, I guess I shouldn't have run out into the road like that," I saved Edward. He gave me a thankful smile for bailing him out.

"Do you know how long you are in town?"

"No. I was just passing by. I don't settle down much… or at all." I had muttered the last part to myself and didn't intend any of them to have heard. But obviously, being vampires, I failed.

"You don't have a place to live?" Alice asked.

"No, I like to travel and see the world," I lied.

"Well, maybe we'll have to deal with that later. Do you want to met everyone else?" Alice asked.

I didn't even have time to answer her when she called down three people named Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie. She pulled me inside the house and once again, I gawped at the beauty of the house. The house was very modern inside and out and tones really lightened the house a lot and you would have never guess that a coven of vampires lived there especially with all the glass walls and windows.

Before I knew it, three new vampires were standing in front of me.

"Bella, this is Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett," Esme introduced us.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Jasper," the male with blond hair introduced himself.

"Rosalie," the beautiful blonde said.

I expected to shake Emmett's hand like I had done with Jasper and Rosalie, but instead, I was swept into a big, bone crushing hug.

"Emmett, let the girl down," Rosalie warned Emmett.

When he let me down, I couldn't help but laugh. I was really starting to like this family.

"Is this your whole coven?" I asked.

"No, there's still my husband," Esme answered. "And he's pulling into the driveway right now."

I turned around to see a black Mercedes parking in the driveway and to see a tall blond man step out and make his way towards us. But the difference is with this man, he wasn't _exactly_ a stranger to me. I know of him, just never met him.

"Dad," I said in shock just as he stepped into the house.

**Hope you liked that. It's just the start so review and I'll update when I'm not studying for my exams. And did any Doctor Who fans catch my DW reference at the very beginning? **


	3. Falling Into Place

_So I won't give up,  
No, I won't break down.  
Sooner than it seems, life turns around.  
And I will be strong,  
Even if it all goes wrong.  
When I'm standing in the dark I still believe,  
That someone's watching over me.  
-Someone's Watching Over Me, Hilary Duff_

I somehow couldn't comprehend how I had finally found who I had been looking for. Over three hundred years of searching and just when I was about to give up, he walks right into my life. I guess it was just life's way of telling me not to give up.

I don't know what came over me. I did what my first instinct told me to do. I ran to him and threw my arms around him in a big hug.

I had finally found my father.

"Is it just me or is anyone else confused?" Emmett asked.

I could tell that Carlisle was confused as well. He patted me on the back hesitantly a few times. I decided I shouldn't creep him out too much so I pulled away.

"Does the name Renee Swan mean anything to you?" I asked Carlisle.

He seemed to contemplate something quickly before he said, "Isabella?" I just nodded my head.

"What, I thought your name was Bella," Emmett said.

I looked behind me in time to see Rosalie smack the back of his head.

"You doof. Isa_-Bella_," Alice said dumbly.

"Isabella, what happened to you?" Carlisle asked.

"I went searching for you and as you can tell, my search didn't exactly turn out the way I wanted it to. But I guess better late than never, right?"

Carlisle pulled me into another hug. He held me so tight to his body it was like he was trying to make up three hundred year of hugs.

"Anyone want to fill us in?" Jasper asked.

"Isabella's mother, Renee Swan was my mistress before I was changed. It was only a few weeks before Isabella was due that I left for the hunt," Carlisle explained.

"Let's continue this in the living room," Esme suggested.

Esme closed the door and I followed everyone to the living room and sat in the middle of the couch beside Esme and Alice. Everyone else sat on the surrounding chairs and loveseats with Alice sitting on the floor leaning against Jasper's legs.

"Where do you want me to start?" I asked my dad.

"From the beginning."

"Well, ever since I was little, my mother would tell me stories about you," I told my dad. "She told me all about how you followed your father's footsteps and went to track down some vampires but never came home," I paused to look at my father. He sat motionless listening to my story. "All I really had of you was a poorly painted picture of you and my mother together. But I always had this feeling that you never really died. That you were still alive and had your reasons for not coming home.

"When I turned sixteen, I wanted to go searching for you. Find any clues that might lead me to find you. But as a girl back then, that was the most ridiculous thing in the world. But I wouldn't give up. Everyday, I told my mother that I was going to lessons at Mrs. Vanderlees' house but instead, I was actually going to the library to read up on anything and everything about vampires and my grandfather's research.

"I was getting closer everyday… That was until about a month before my seventeenth birthday. I was on my way home from the library when I came across a dark silhouette lying on the ground in the alleyway behind the church. I was curious and, stupidly, decided to inspect what was there. But once I got there, I found that the silhouette was a dead body, drained entirely of blood. I was about to run away when someone grabbed me and bit me. I'm not entirely sure what happened after that as it was dark and I was in pain. I don't know why the vampire didn't kill me. I spent the next few days in that alleyway trying to keep from screaming from the pain and managed to only let out a gasp every now and then. And that's pretty much where the story ends. I've been traveling the world ever since," I finished.

"I have to ask. How was Renee after I left?" my dad asked.

"Well, you left before I was born so I can't exactly tell you how she was _right_ after you left. But she raised me up by herself until I was three and she got married to Charles after that. And if you're wondering, he treated her, and me, wonderfully."

"And how was your childhood?" he asked.

"I guess it was as good as it gets without knowing who your father was. I got a good education; well as good as they get for girls back then. A few men wanted to court me when I was sixteen but I spent all my time in the library that they really didn't get a chance." I couldn't help but laugh a bit at the memory.

There was one man, Michael, who had been trying to court me for the longest time when I was sixteen. He would show up at my house in the morning and offer to escort me to my lessons. Of course, right after he left me in front of Mrs. Vanderlees' house, I would make a run for the library.

"And how did you come across the animal diet?" Edward asked me.

"Well, while I was researching about vampires, things that always came up in my reading was that all vampires killed humans and I always thought to myself that I would never kill a human. So while I was in the woods after I had woken up, I came across a deer and that's when it started," I responded.

"What made you decide to come here?" Esme asked.

"Well, I didn't exactly decide to come here," I pointed out. "I thought it was time to relocate so I just went along with wherever the road took me… that was until I 'ran into' Edward and Alice."

"Wait, why do I feel like you're putting quotes around 'ran into'?" my dad asked. That was right, he didn't know about how we met.

Before I could answer, Edward spoke up. "Once again, I didn't hear you. And you're really bad at playing dead," Edward defended himself again.

"What do you mean you didn't hear me?" I asked.

"Well, I can read minds, but I couldn't hear you," Edward explained to me.

"Hey, now that I think about it, I didn't _see_ us hitting you, Bella. I didn't see you in our lives at all." Alice seemed to pause to think. "Hey, Jazz, can you feel Bella?" Jasper just shook his head in response.

Then something dawn on me. "Sorry, I forgot. That probably was me. I'm a shield. Physical and mental. I could keep it off if it makes it easier to… _see_?" I asked.

"Oh, yeah, I can see the future and Jasper is an empath."

It was then that we started to talk about everything else. My dad told me about what happened to him and how he formed his coven. We talked for the rest of the day and when the last of the suns rays went away.

"Well, I think that we should call it a day. Bella, you can take the room on the third floor to the left," Esme told me.

_Wait, what_?

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well, your going to stay, aren't you?" The way she said it made it sound like I didn't have an option.

"I wouldn't want to impose."  
"What are you talking about? You're Carlisle's daughter. You're family." Before I could contradict her again, she instructed me to go up and get settled in a very firm and final voice.

I was about to head up the stairs following everyone else who was going to their room with their mate but my dad stopped me.

"Isabella," he said.

I turned around. "You know you can call me Bella, right?"

"Bella," he said like he was still getting used to it. "You know how sorry I am for not being there while you were growing up and for the past three hundred years, right?" I nodded slightly. "Well, I don't want to take those childhood memories away from you, so I'm hoping it's not to late."

"What are you…" I was cut off.

"Good night," my dad said and disappeared up the stairs.

Something told me that I didn't want to know what he meant. I just tried to shake it off for the time being and head upstairs to the third floor. It wasn't hard finding my room but I wasn't prepared for what I would find _in_ the room. It looked like they had been expecting me or something. It was fully furnished with a bed and everything, not that I needed it.

I didn't have any bags to unpack or anything so I decided to take the time and explore the house a little bit. It was larger than I had expected. It looked big on the outside but it seemed like it was still bigger on the inside as well. It had everything from a music room to a fully stocked kitchen, which I wondered why they kept fully stocked. When I finished exploring, I concluded that my father didn't waste away three hundred years like I had. He actually did something and made a life. A very nice life I might add.

I was on my way back up to the third floor when I saw that the room on the right was slightly ajar and I saw Edward laying on his couch with ear buds in.

"Knock knock," I said at the door. He turned and smiled at me and I took that as permission to enter. "Mind if I join you?" I asked.

"Sure."

He moved his feet so I had room to sit down. I sat down in front of him and curled my legs up to myself.

"I don't usually have company at night seeing as everyone is… preoccupied," Edward said with quotes around preoccupied.

"Sorry, did you want to be alone?" I asked.

I was just getting off the couch when Edward placed a hand on my arm.

"No, I didn't say I didn't like the company."

I sat back down and settled into my previous position as Edward pulled out his earbuds and set his iPod aside. We continued the night just talking to each other. Learning the basic facts about each other. Everything from how he was turned to his favorite color. It felt good to be able to just talk to someone like that. I hadn't been able to do that since… well… ever. I felt like my life was finally falling into place.


	4. Growing Up

_So here we are,  
Together tonight.  
I hope you're having the time of your life.  
Let's start again,  
One step at a time.  
We could have something and I want to try,  
If you want to try._  
-_Time Of Your Life_

Let me just tell you that if your father tells you that he '_doesn't want to take childhood memories away from you'_ he actually means that he wants to make up three hundred years worth of going to the park and having him push you on the baby swing, buying you a full Barbie set and all the other really embarrassing things you would have done when you were five.

When my father presented me with one of those plastic cars that run on batteries that kids ride in around their yard, all Emmett could do was laugh endlessly at me. I obviously didn't want to make him feel bad about it so I reluctantly got in and started to drive around. How I managed to fit in it was a complete mystery. I had to force a smile whenever I passed my father.

And you thought your father was embarrassing.

The embarrassment didn't seem to stop. For a whole week, he has been doing this and everyday it just got worse. And that is where it leads me now, running up the stairs as fast as I could trying to prolong my torture as much as I could.

I reached the top floor and kept turning my head left to right deciding which way to go.

"Bella," my father called out coming up the stairs. _Crap!_

I didn't have time to think. I ran down the hall and right into Edward's room. He was sitting exactly how he always was. This time he was reading a book instead of listening to music.

"Hide me," I pleaded. I launched myself over the top of the couch and sat down behind the couch.

"Bella, what are you doing?" he asked.

"Hiding from Carlisle," I told him. I heard footsteps coming closer. "Cover me." I shut up after that as my father walked into the room.

"Edward, did you happen to see Bella?"

"Ummm," Edward started, "She said something about hide-and-go-seek." If my father thought that we were playing hide-and-go-seek, there's no doubt he would tear up the entire house looking for me. I hit the back of the couch with the elbow. "In the forest!" Edward blurted out.

My father didn't waste anytime and bolted out of the room. "Here I come, Bella," he called. I let out the breath I didn't even realize I was holding.

I jumped back over the top of the couch and sat beside Edward.

"Thank you _so_ much. You have no idea how grateful I am right now."

Edward looked at me questioningly. "I thought you liked you father."

"I do, don't get me wrong. But it's just getting annoying at this point. It's like he's trying to hold on the little girl he never knew. I'm over three hundred years old for crying out loud," I ranted.

"Give him some credit. He's spent three hundred year not knowing you were alive. He's doing the best he can."

"Don't you dare make me feel guilty, Cullen," I warned.

"Hey, technically speaking, you're still sixteen and a minor. So that means Carlisle is still your legal guardian," Edward pointed out.

"How does it feel to be within reach of being an legal adult?" I teased back. I had learned over the last week that it annoys Edward a lot thinking about how he was only a month or so away from turning eighteen and becoming a legal adult.

Edward growled quietly at my remark. I just smirked at him.

"So what are you going to do now that you have your father breathing down your back?" Edward asked.

"To be honest, I think I'm going to have to come clean to him," I told him after a moment.

"And when are you going to tell him?"

"Umm… I'll give him some more time to try and find me in the forest." In actuality, I was just trying to buy some time to think of how to tell him.

"So what are you going to do in the mean time?" he asked.

We were sitting side by side on the couch and it was then that I noticed how close to each other we actually were. I had spent every night since I got there in his room getting to know him and every night I couldn't help but notice how handsome he was. But now, being closer together than we ever had, it's like all those other nights I had been looking at him from miles away. Now I could see every fleck of gold in his eyes, every single flawless aspect of him face and how all his features were perfect.

I didn't even know how we had gotten so close, but somehow, while I was think about how amazing he was, he had managed to become even closer until we were only inches apart. I wanted so badly to close the remaining gap between us. We were both still and silent like we were waiting for the others reaction. But something pulled me back. I don't know why, but just when we less than an inch apart, I turned my head away.

"I think I should go hide behind a tree or something so my father can find me," I said. The awkwardness in the room was so dense and thick it was like a hot and humid summer day where you would barely breath.

"See you tonight?" Edward asked just before I left the room.

"Yeah, sure."

I had no idea how to tell my dad to lighten up on all the 'dad' stuff. I went down the stairs slowly, trying to buy time.

"Hey, Bells, aren't you supposed to be playing hide and seek?" Emmett teased. He was sitting on the end of the couch stroking Rosalie's hair while Rosalie was laying flat on the couch with her head on Emmett's lap.

I stuck my tongue out at him. I really didn't want to get Emmett fired up because I knew he'd lose and do what he had been doing since I had arrived, talk about my sex life and what I do with Edward at night.

I walked out of the house casually and as slowly as possible without it seeming obvious. I went and hid behind a tree. I was in plain sight but that was my plan.

I didn't even hear when someone crept up to me. When I felt a cold hand on my shoulder and someone whisper, "Found you," in my ear. I nearly screamed but when I turned around, I swallowed my scream. There, in front of me, trying to hold him his laughter was Edward.

"My God, you scared me," I said to him with my hand over my non beating heart.

"Sorry," he apologized. I don't think he was trying, but he made his voice unintentionally seductive. "And I'm also sorry to break it to you but your hiding place isn't exactly the best one. This tree is about as thick as a toothpick."

"I was trying to get caught," I rolled my eyes.

"Sure you were," he said like he obviously wasn't buying it.

"You're impossible," I muttered.

"Well, you're improbable," he said back.

I'm not sure how, but for the second time in a very short time period, his face was very close to mine. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't complaining. I could feel his soft breath on my face and for some reason, I wanted him to be closer. I wasn't the one to pull away this time though.

"Bella?" I heard my dad say from behind me. Edward straightened up again and I turned to face my dad. "What were you two doing?" he eyed us both.

"Nothing, Carlisle," Edward said before turning away heading back to the house. I looked back to my dad and I knew from his facial expression that he knew it wasn't just nothing.

"You found me?" I managed to say. It was more like a question than a statement.

"Yes, behind the amazing 'stick tree'," he laughed.

There was a moment of silence between us before I decided to go right out and say it.

"Look, dad, I don't know how to say this gently… well, I guess there is no way to say this gently, but you've got to ease up on all this 'dad' stuff," I told him. I braced myself for the worst once I said it but nothing came, he just stayed silent. "It's not that I don't like spending time with you, it's just that you're trying to do _too_ much with me."

"I just wanted to give you what I couldn't before. To just be the dad I wasn't to you when you most needed me."

"You _were_ there when I needed you. I don't know how, but there was always a voice inside my head telling me the right thing to do and guiding me. It's like when I first changed, there was something telling me not to attack the first humans I came in contact with. I have a feeling that there was always some part of you with me," I told him.

My dad pulled me into a bone crushing hug after I told him that. "I'm sorry, I know I haven't known you long, but I don't want to see you grow up too fast."

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh, come on. I'm not stupid, Bella. Just now, with Edward? Are you seriously going to think that I believed that was nothing? I've seen the way you two act around each other."

"Do you know something I don't?" I questioned.

"I've barely known you a week and you're already being taken away by a boy. Just promise me that you won't runaway or something without telling me," my dad asked.

"I'm still confused here."

My dad didn't even give me a hint as to what I was missing. He just walked away trying to stifle a laugh. Why does I seem like everyone knows something I don't? Even Emmett knows something is up.

I tried to push the thought to the back of my mind and focus on something else but it was really hard. The thought that everyone knew something I didn't kept crawling it's way back to the front of my mind and I would get even more frustrated.

I was so caught up in my own thoughts and I didn't even realize that I had walked right into Edward's room.

"Hello again," Edward smiled up at me from his same position on the couch as he's always in.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to come in here," I apologized.

"It's quite alright. You're here so why don't you stay?" he suggested.

I resumed my usual spot on the couch next to Edward and we started talking again. It seemed to amaze me that as much as we talk to each other, we never seem to run out of things to say.

**I know I hadn't updated in a while but I'm back… at least for this chapter. I really should be studying but I decided to update instead. Once I'm done my exams, I'll probably have more time to update but the best way to being a faster update is to review. **


	5. Show Me?

When you gonna realize that you're lonely.  
I can see it in your eyes, you don't have to be.  
When you gonna realize I'm the remedy,  
Won't you give my love a try,  
You'll be safe with me.  
-_Safe With Me_, Billie Piper

You know that feeling that you get when you know your friends hare keeping a big secret from and you they just refuse to tell you? Well, I've been feeling like that for the past week.

Everyone in my family seemed to be in on it. You wouldn't think that Emmett would have figured it out but he caught on as well. Every time they talked about it, I would walk into the room and they would immediately shut up. And when I say they would shut up, I mean the whole room and sometimes even the whole house would go dead silent.

I was making use of the kitchen by sitting at the island counter and reading. I found that it was one of the best places to read. It was mostly always empty and no one bothered me there. Ever since I arrived at the Cullens', I have discovered the many wonderful titles on my dad's bookshelf in his office.

I was in complete silence until Emmett came back into the house using the kitchen door.

"Wow, this must be the first night that you're not in Edward's room," Emmett pointed out before running out of the kitchen and to God knows where.

I looked up and for the first time noticed that Emmett was right. I haven't even been aware that the sun had set. I grabbed by bookmark and slipped it inside my book. I closed my book but before I could get up and head upstairs, I felt a hand on top of my own that made me remain seated. I looked up to see who it was and there was Edward. He was seated at the other side of the counter smiling at me.

"Hey," I said.

"Hey," Edward said back.

There was a silence between us as that I used to just look into his eyes. Oh crap. After nearly two weeks, have we finally run out of things to talk about?

Edward broke the silence. "So, while I was waiting for you-" I cut him off.

"I'm so sorry about that, I was reading and I got really caught up in the book and next thing I knew, Emmett comes in and…" I droned on. Edward just laughed a bit at my continuous talking.

"It's okay," he assured him. "I was going to say that you haven't really told me about what you can do with your power. All you really said was that you're a physical and mental shield. I know that I can't read your thoughts and you keep your physical shield off so Alice and Jasper can use their power. How come you don't keep your mental shield off?" Edward asked.

"Well, I can take it off if I want, I just find it harder than taking off my physical shield. I don't know why but my mental shield is more… _protective_ of me than my physical shield," I explained. "And I also enjoy my privacy."

"Do you know how frustrating it is not being able to hear your thoughts?"

"Have you ever thought that that's the way everyone else feels all the time?" Edward seemed to think about what I had just said and when he didn't answer, I knew I had won.

"I will get you to show me your thoughts one day," Edward promised.

"Yeah, we'll see about that," I smirked. "Just remember that I can easily think about something completely different if I do decide to let you see my thoughts."

"What else can you do?" Edward asked. I got up off my seat and headed to the back door. "No, don't go. If you don't want to let me know, that's all right. Just don't go," Edward pleaded.

I walked back to him, took his hand and led him out the door and into the backyard. I walked right into the middle of the grassy field and positioned Edward so he was standing in front of me at arms length.

"Attack me," I instructed. I know that what I had just told Edward sounded mad. There was no doubt he would win in a fight. I was a petite sixteen-year-old girl just over five feet two inches and he was a muscular guy almost six feet.

"What? I don't want to hurt you."

"Don't worry about that. Just _attack me_," I told him again.

He was hesitant but jumped on me anyways. I managed to dodge his first attack easily but I think that was because he wasn't trying very hard. He came at me again and tried to grab my waist from behind me but I countered his attack by ducking down and sliding underneath him. I hopped up behind him and before he could register what I had done, I grabbed him and threw him a few meters away. I skid to a stop just before he fell into the creek. I felt bad for throwing him like that but he was the one that asked me what I could do.

He recovered himself fairly quickly and came at me more strategically. He didn't just charge at me but instead tried to get me from the side. I waited for him to grab me, spun and knocked him to the ground with me pinning him down. I was about to get up when he suddenly rolled us over so he was the one on top of me. He looked proud that he was finally the one with the upper hand. I felt bad for destroying his momentary happiness but I couldn't let him walk away from this thinking that he was better at fighting. I smiled up at him and felt my shield expand around me and next thing Edward knew, he was airborne. I got up to watch him fly backwards and hit a tree. The loud bang I heard when the made contact with the tree made me cringe a bit and I felt a small twinge of guilt.

Edward made his way back over with his hands in the air. "How did you do that?" he asked.

"Physical shield, remember?"

I heard a small applause from behind me and when I turned around I saw the entire family watching us. By the way Emmett's shirt was poorly buttoned up, I could tell that he had been previously occupied with Rosalie.

"That was amazing, Bella," my dad told me.

"Where did you learn to fight like that?" Esme asked.

"I was trained while I was with-" I broke off. I felt bad for keeping something from my family but I didn't think it was the right time to tell them my entire past, not yet.

"Dude, Bella, you up for a real fight?" Emmett challenged.

"Oh, no you don't. I'm not done with you yet," Rosalie said. She grabbed Emmett's hand and led him back into the house.

"In the morning," Emmett called out to me before the door closed behind them. I shivered a bit at the thought of what Rosalie had meant by _'I'm not done with you yet_'.

The rest of the family laughed and went inside with their mate as well. I shivered even more at the thought of what _all _of them were going to do.

"You truly are special," Edward said to me.

I turned back around to face him. "Why? You want a rematch?" I teased.

"No, I'm okay… for now."

I sat down on the grass and Edward sat down beside me. Neither one of us said anything but I was perfectly okay with it. I replayed our fight in my head. Don't get me wrong, Edward was a good fighter, it's just that I've had more practice and experience with fighting. Most people don't expect that I'd be any good because I'm such a young and small girl but that's the best part, their surprise when the find out how wrong they were.

"Are you actually going to take Emmett on in a fight?" Edward asked.

"Are you saying I'd lose?"

"No, not at all. I, personally, think that it would be good for Emmett to lose for once."

There was another moment of silence between us. It was official; we had run out of things to talk about.

Out of nowhere, Edward gasped. I looked over at him questioningly.

"Alice just had a vision," Edward explained.

"Care to tell me what this vision was about?"

"Only if you let me into your mind," Edward bargained.

I sighed and let the shield around me drop. I thought about how happy I was to finally have found a place where I belong and have a family. Edward smiled at my thoughts. His smile was amazing. Sure, people would think '_it's just a smile_', but not to me. And his eyes were the same, if not more brilliant. They shone brighter than the sun and were more beautiful than gold itself. But when you put his eyes and smile together, it was like nothing else in the world.

"Thanks," Edward beamed.

Oh crap! My shield was down. He had heard _everything_ I had just thought about his smile and eyes. You might as well just kill me now.

"Bella, I'm not going to kill you," Edward told me.

I felt my shield snap back up around me and block Edward out.

"I'm so sorry about that," I said. If I had been human, I would have been redder than a tomato.

"It's okay, really," Edward promised me.

I looked up at him and realized how close we were sitting.

"So, about that vision," I said trying to change the topic.

"What about the vision?" he teased.

"Are you going to tell me about it now?"

"How about I show you instead?" Edward suggested.

"Show me?"

Before I could question it, Edward had softly pressed his lips to mine. I was shocked for a moment but didn't push him away, not that I wanted to. So many times we had almost kissed and now we finally got the chance. It was almost like heaven with Edward's lips against mine.

I could tell that Edward was about to pull away but I couldn't let that happen. I kissed him back and one of my arms found their way around his neck and the other followed. He rested his hands on my waist and it was like they fit there perfectly. The kiss was gentle but perfect.

**bit shorter than my goal but i like it  
review **


	6. Fighting Fire With Fire

Cause when I'm kissing you  
My senses come alive  
Almost like the puzzle piece I've been trying to find  
Falls right into place  
You're all that it takes  
My doubts fade away  
When I'm kissing you  
- _Kissin' U_, Miranda Cosgrove

Edward and I spent the rest of the night sitting next to each other in the backyard. It was a change from sitting in his room but it was a good change. I was proven to be wrong before about us running out of things to talk about. We still had so much to talk about that it felt like eternity with him wasn't _nearly_ enough time. But we didn't _only_ talk. There were a few shared kisses here and there but they weren't long or anything. They were little kisses that didn't last any longer than half a minute.

Edward pulled away from one of our kisses. "The others will be coming down soon," Edward told me.

I sighed. I got up, took Edward's hand and led him inside the house through the back kitchen door. Once we were in the kitchen though, I hopped up on the kitchen island. We almost never used the kitchen and I thought it was a shame seeing as it was very beautifully designed.

"Where were we?" I teased Edward.

Edward took a step towards me so we were mere inches apart. "Well, as I recall, before we left the backyard, I was approximately here but your face was a lot closer to mine."

"I think we should fix that," I stated.

I leaned myself towards him and pressed my lips against his. Every time our lips touched, it never ceased to have the same effect on me. It was like an electric current ran through me, in a good way.

I pulled away when we normally pulled away but this time, Edward didn't seem to let me. He leaned back towards me and that was when we entered full on make-out mode. I wrapped by arms securely around his neck and he rested one hand on my waist while the other lingered on the small of my back. My hands eventually found their way into his hair and I started to mess up his already unruly hair. I wrapped my legs around his waist to put him closer. What shocked me was when I felt his tongue slip into my mouth. The shock wore of quickly though and all I could think about was how good his tongue felt in my mouth.

Even though I was three hundred years old, I had never experience anything like this. Sure, this wasn't my first kiss but it was my first _real_ kiss. My first kiss didn't feel anything remotely close to how this one felt. This was heaven and I didn't want it to ever end.

I didn't even realize someone entering the room until I heard a really loud thud of a hardcover book hitting the floor. I quickly pulled away from Edward and turned to see who was there. As soon as I saw who was there and what that person had just seen, I felt that warm feeling inside of embarrassment.

"Edward… Bella… wha-" my father broke off, still in shock. The three of us just stood there in silence for what felt like eternity. My father kept looking back and forth between Edward and I.

"Hey, Bella! Do you have a pink _Sharpie_ I can borrow?" Alice's voice rang out. "Mine ran out and I need to finish thi-" she broke off when she saw us in the kitchen. "I knew it!" Alice practically yelled.

After Alice's outburst, it wasn't long before everyone was in the kitchen looking at Edward and me. That was when I realized the position we were both in. Me sitting on the counter with my legs wrapped around him and my arms around his neck while his arms were on the small of my back. I immediately unwrapped myself from him and pushed him a few inches off me.

My father snapped himself out of it and broke the silence, "Bella, I wanted to know if you wanted to join the others in school?"

"Umm… sure…" I said. I wasn't really thinking about it, just trying to say whatever would get me out of this… situation.

"I'll go with you to get your books," Edward offered. I gave him a nod and jumped off the counter.

It was embarrassing, to say the least, walking past everyone to get to the door. Edward followed close behind me. I also saw in my peripheral vision Emmett putting up his hand in front of Edward for a high-five but Edward ignoring him.

I walked to the front door, grabbed Edward's keys and continued walking out to the garage. I walked to his Volvo and opened the driver's seat. But before I could open the door all the way and sit down, Edward reached over me and closed the door. I turned around to face Edward and raised an eyebrow questioningly at him.

"Bella, what's the matter?" Edward asked.

"Nothing."

"There's something bothering you," he stated. "Am I moving too fast?" I didn't answer. "I knew I shouldn't have kissed you. Just because Alice and Jasper got together so fast doesn't mean that's how it always happens. Why the hell did I listen to Alice's vis-" I cut him off instantly from his nonsense muttering by pressing my lips to his.

"Edward, that's _not_ what's bothering me," I assured him. He just looked at me curiously and motioned for me to continue. "I'm embarrassed," I admitted. "My father just caught us making out and your whole family practically saw us." Edward just started laughing. "Are you seriously not embarrassed?"

"Well…" Edward started.

It was then that something dawned on me. "Wait, did you know my father would walk in?"  
"Well…" Edward smirked.

"Why would you do that?"

"I've walked in on all of them before and I… well…" Edward said again.

I just sighed in defeat and embarrassment and turned to get in the car. Edward reached over me again and closed the door, again.

"What now?" I asked, my patience wearing thin.

"Keys."

"No, I'm driving," I said firmly.

"No, this is my car so I'm entitled to drive it." I turned back around to face him and leaned against the car.

"What are you going to do about it then?" I challenged.

Edward leaned hi face towards mine until I could feel his sweet breath on my face. He was so close to me I just wanted to close that gap. He placed both hands on either side of my face.

"Bella," he asked sweetly, "can I have my car keys?"

"No." Edward sighed.

"Fine, have it your way."

I didn't know what he meant but I soon found out. He leaned forwards even closer, no doubt trying to tease me. His forehead rested on mine and he asked again, "May I have my keys?" I simply nodded my head. I tried to stand my ground but it was hard to focus with him teasing me like this. He pressed up against me this time and he moved his head so his lips were just hovering over mine. "Keys?"

A brilliant idea popped into my head in that moment. I was going to fight fire with fire. I let Edward through my shield and mentally replied to him, _'No'_. Edward suddenly gasped and before I knew what was happening, he had his lips on mine.

Our kiss didn't last long though; a loud alarm made me jump and Edward to break away. I then realized that we had set off the car alarm! Great, just another thing to add to my list of embarrassment. In my shock, I noticed that I had dropped the keys. Edward bent down, grabbed the keys and turned off the alarm.

"Way to go, Eddie," Emmett boomed from inside the house.

I groaned and walked to the other side of the car in defeat.

"You know, you don't fight fair," Edward accused when we finally left the garage.

"Never said I did."

"Well, I finally got you to let me into your mind," Edward pointed out.

"And?" I pressed.

"I loved it," Edward smiled.

I let him in my mind again and thought, '_Glad I amuse you'_.

Edward then chuckled. "What?" I asked slightly offended.

"Oh, it's just that your thoughts have an English accent to them," Edward told me.

I put on an American accent, "Are you insulting my accent?" I questioned.

"No, I love your accent. Just like how I love you."

**IMPORTANT NOTICE**

**You might have noticed that this chapter is shorter than normal. That's because I have writers block but felt like you guys deserved an update. So don't blame me if this chapter isn't the best or longest. **

**And you might feel like I feel and think that Edward and Bella's relationship is moving very fast but that's because I want to get on with the story more.  
I'll try and update as soon as possible**


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